God Initiates.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Today we’re going to start a new series going through the second part of the book of Genesis. [0:05] If you were here with us in the winter of February and March we went through the first [0:10] eleven chapters of Genesis. [0:12] Now we’re going to spend the next few months going through chapters twelve to twenty two [0:17] mainly looking at the story of a guy named Abraham whom God redeemed for his purposes [0:24] and that song that we just finished singing really describes the move of God in Abraham’s

[0:31] life to pardon him of his sin, to redeem him for his purposes which is God’s goal [0:37] and his vision and his pursuit of each and every one of us this morning that we would [0:42] experience that same redemption.

[0:46] The reason that we go through books of the Bible and it’s a passion for us as a church, [0:51] if you’ve been here for any time we kind of jump back and forth and we’ll go through [0:56] an entire book of scripture this past year. [0:58] We’ve been through the first chunk of the book of Genesis because I know how long Genesis [1:02] is, we went ahead and split it up but that’s mostly for you. [1:06] And then we went through the book of first John, we’ve been through much of the New

[1:10] Testament together and by God’s grace he’ll give me the opportunity to preach through [1:14] every single book of the Bible with his church. [1:16] But the reason that we do that is that I have a loftier goal than simply to think that [1:22] you’re going to come in here as a church and you’re going to get fed. [1:27] I don’t want you to get fed on Sunday mornings, I want you to get thirsty on Sunday mornings. [1:32] I want you to get just a taste of God’s goodness in his word, just a feeling of how good the

[1:39] meal that God has for us in his word is so that when we go out of here we will be people [1:45] that feed off of God’s word each and every day of the week where we can understand what [1:51] Jesus said when he said, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds [1:56] out of the mouth of God. [1:57] Very similar language to how the scriptures are called in the Bible. [2:05] But this morning my hope is that we’ll worship.

[2:10] When we go to church and we look for just felt needs where it’s just we look for I [2:14] need some advice at where I am in life. [2:17] I need some feelings of how to do this better or how to do that better or how to feel better [2:22] about me. [2:23] What we do is that we miss the point and a big point of the scripture is that mostly [2:28] we don’t know what we need.

[2:31] Mostly given the opportunity we’re going to chase after false gods. [2:35] Mostly given the opportunity we’re going to chase after things that are just counterfeits [2:39] of what real satisfaction looks like of what real fulfillment is and what real worship [2:45] is meant for us by God. [2:48] We do not naturally know how to live for God. [2:52] We do not naturally know how to move from a place of being sinful how to move from a

[2:58] place of being dissatisfied in a sinful world that the scripture says is groaning for the [3:03] day that it is restored to what it was meant to be. [3:06] If the creation itself outside of us groans for that how much more do we groan to be what [3:12] God designed us to be that we’re missing out on the satisfaction of knowing the God of [3:18] the universe and worshiping him in every way that he actually designed us to do. [3:22] And friends the only place in which we can find the answer to that is his word.

[3:30] So when we go through an entire book my hope is that this would help us know how to study [3:36] the Bible for ourselves. [3:38] So often we’re caught up in maybe the kind of the coffee cup theology of just kind of [3:43] cherry picking verses here and there that just make us feel better about ourselves when [3:47] an entire meal, appetizer, main course, dessert, then more dessert. [3:56] I don’t know about you but I like two of them.

[4:00] That’s what God has for us when we look at the context of a verse inside of a whole [4:05] chapter. [4:07] The context of a chapter inside of a whole book and then the context of a book inside [4:11] of the entire scope of what God is teaching us in his word. [4:16] And so it’s my hope that as we go through these books of scripture that we would be [4:23] a people defined by the way of God’s redemption.

[4:30] When we read the Old Testament there’s this great temptation inside of us to turn these [4:35] characters into the heroes and try to slay the giants in our lives and try to find the [4:42] moral compass of Abraham or try to find you know what how do we fit in the story of Jonah [4:48] and the way that we fit is that we’re just like those main characters. [4:51] We’re not heroes at all and neither are they. [4:55] The hero of the Old Testament is the same hero as the New Testament is Jesus.

[5:00] The hero of scripture is the one whom we’re going to take a look at in Genesis chapter [5:05] 12 this morning and that is God and that is the God who initiates, the God who moves to [5:13] redeem people back to the purpose of what he has for them in this world. [5:17] So join me in Genesis chapter 12 and we’re not going to get very far this morning. [5:22] It’s a good thing that we’ve got a couple of months.

[5:26] Abraham lived a big life and they told lots of stories about him. [5:29] But in Genesis chapter 1 we meet this guy named Abram and the word says, now the Lord [5:35] said to Abram, go from your country and your kindred and your fathers house to the land [5:42] that I will show you. [5:43] And I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great so [5:49] that you will be a blessing.

[5:51] I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonors you I will curse and in you [5:58] all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

[6:03] So Abram went. [6:05] Pray with me. [6:06] Our Father, I come before you this morning with great expectation.

[6:14] I pray this morning that you would move in each and every one of our lives that you [6:18] would see inside of us vessels of your love. [6:24] And that we would believe your promise to love us. [6:27] And that we would seek you only to find that you’ve been seeking us. [6:32] Lord your love pursues, your love redeems, your love restores. [6:37] May we believe that, may we have faith in that this morning.

[6:42] In the name of Christ I pray, amen. [6:45] When we went through the first few chapters of the book of Genesis we went from the creation [6:50] where God speaks and the world is. [6:53] We went from that point to the story of the tower of Babel in which rather than obeying [6:59] God multiplying over the face of the earth spreading over the face of the earth man [7:03] made it his purpose to go and build a monument to his own wisdom.

[7:09] And God going to be the one who fulfills his own vision looks to man and says no I’m going [7:16] to change your language I’m going to spread you out over all the earth whether or not [7:20] you want to do it and he does. [7:23] And so we see in this great work from Genesis chapter 1 through 11 two main truths. [7:28] The first one being that God’s will will be done. [7:33] That God is not dependent on anyone else to accomplish his will.

[7:39] And secondly we see that man that humanity is rebellious against God that we are a people [7:46] that are defined by a sin that so naturally besets us that our default mode is to just [7:53] simply look at what God has proclaimed that we should do and then say no we have a better [7:57] way. [7:58] And that’s what Genesis 1 through 11 shows us. [8:02] And it also shows us that in his determination to accomplish his will that he does not desire

[8:08] to do it apart from humanity. [8:11] And so in that we have this great story of a God who judges man over and over and over [8:17] again but even in that judgment you see grace. [8:21] That God is unwilling to forget us. [8:25] That God is unwilling to move past us. [8:28] That God is unwilling to complete his will apart from the way in which he originally

[8:33] designed and planned for it to do. [8:35] So in his judgments we see great grace. [8:38] Why? [8:38] Because every time he judges he keeps us from going further into rebellion and further away [8:44] from him but continuously brings his judgment which brings us back. [8:48] Brings his judgment which brings us back.

[8:50] Brings his judgment and then keeps bringing us back over and over and over again. [8:55] Even in the great judgment of the Tower of Babel we see that he commands and then he [9:01] offers the ability to obey those commands. [9:04] Not in the way that we would have wanted it but he says I’ll just keep you from communicating [9:08] with one another and then you’ll get my will.

[9:11] And so over and over in scripture we see this great determination, this great power, the [9:16] greatness of who God is but then also within that realm we see this great love for people [9:22] who are by and large completely unlovable.

[9:26] And that God says I’ll take you along. [9:31] I’ll carry you along and you’re going to worship me. [9:35] You’re going to be a part of it. [9:37] And now he comes to a man named Abram. [9:40] And in the story of Abram we do not know a great deal about him just as soon as chapter [9:45] 12 ends.

[9:46] Chapter 11 we see his judgment and then we see this huge genealogy of the descendants [9:51] of Noah. [9:52] And then immediately we see now the Lord said.

[9:56] Every time you see in scripture God’s will being accomplished you see God is the one [10:04] who initiates. [10:05] God is the one who initiated the work of the gospel to redeem man from his sin through [10:10] faith in God above all else. [10:12] Now what we see in Genesis chapter 12 is not something that’s separate from what his original [10:17] plan was but rather he’s just initiating for his plan to come to fruition.

[10:22] Throughout the first 11 chapters of Genesis what we see is God doing what he said he would [10:26] do. [10:27] And then in chapter 12 he said okay now I’m really going to do what I said I would do [10:31] and here’s the promises in which I’m going to accomplish them through. [10:36] So first this morning what I want you to see is that God is the initiator of redemption. [10:42] Often times we look to the life of Abraham and we see this man who follows God has great

[10:48] faith and then we say man if only I could have the faith of Abraham. [10:54] If only I could see what he saw. [10:57] If only I could know God in the way that Abraham knew God. [11:01] And my kind of retort to you this morning is first there’s nothing special about Abraham [11:06] whatsoever.

[11:09] He’s not a man of great morality. [11:11] He’s not a man of great character and he’s definitely not a man of righteousness. [11:18] Abram is a guy who has a name that somewhat in my opinion, in my studies is kind of pagan. [11:25] Abram actually means exalted father. [11:29] In Joshua chapter 24 verse 2 we learn a little bit about the back story of Abraham. [11:35] In Joshua 24 it reads this way.

[11:37] Joshua was speaking to the nation of Israel and he said thus says the Lord the God of [11:41] Israel long ago your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates. [11:44] Terah the father of Abraham and of Nahor and they served other gods. [11:52] So when we come into Genesis 12 I want you to come into it with the realization that [11:56] Abram was not sitting in a worship service and God spoke to him. [12:01] Abram was not seeking God.

[12:03] Abram was fulfilling himself in worship of false gods that his father had actually created [12:10] for him to worship so that Terah’s name would be exalted. [12:16] So Abram’s name is actually the exaltation of his father. [12:20] Is actually the exaltation of false gods. [12:22] So Abram is a complete pagan separated from God and God just says well I’m going to initiate [12:29] a relationship with you.

[12:30] I know you’re not looking for it. [12:31] I know you don’t want it. [12:32] I know you’re not trying to find it but I’m going to give it to you anyway. [12:36] God just kind of confronts him one day. [12:39] Could you imagine how frightening that would be? [12:43] A God that you’re not worshiping, a God that you don’t even know exists just starts speaking

[12:49] to you. [12:51] That would not only seem crazy but I’m sure all your friends would think you were crazy. [12:56] Saying hey I heard from this God. [12:58] Because as you see in verse 4 Abram doesn’t move by himself. [13:01] He gets a whole bunch of other people in his family to go with him. [13:05] And so God speaks to Abram.

[13:07] God pursues him in his sin. [13:09] The story reveals a gracious God who chooses to initiate and pursue man in his sin in order [13:16] to redeem him. [13:18] Abram was a man who didn’t know God. [13:20] He wasn’t seeking God. [13:21] And God calls Abram.

[13:23] The very first thing he says to him is trust me. [13:28] The very first note. [13:29] God doesn’t come to him and say I’m going to give you a lot of reasons why I exist. [13:34] I’m going to give you a lot of academic exercises so that you can build up a faith in me. [13:39] I’m going to give you a lot of intellect so that you can come and you can say this is [13:44] why God exists.

[13:45] Here’s the ontological argument. [13:46] Here’s the epistemology of who God is. [13:49] Here’s every single reason why God is who he says he is. [13:52] Now God just looks to Abram and says hey Abram I exist and you’re going to have to trust [13:56] me.

[13:58] That’s not really the apologetic that we would try to build to convince people who don’t [14:02] believe in God that God exists. [14:04] God gave Abram a revelation to depend on and absolutely nothing else. [14:09] I don’t say that to demean academia but if that’s what we’re depending on that’s not [14:12] really faith. [14:14] Faith is built on a revelation of who God is and a faith that he is and that he’s the

[14:18] rewarder of those who seek him. [14:21] Faith and worship is seen when we see him. [14:23] When we hear his voice we say okay God I’ll trust you. [14:27] And in that God promises I’m going to give you a life in which faith and foundation will [14:32] be built onto the glory of my name for the worship of who I am so that all people everywhere [14:37] will know me through you.

[14:40] So if you’re building so that you can tell others about Christ, if you’re building so [14:45] that you can make the world know who God is there is no greater apologetic, there is [14:50] no greater testimony, there is no greater witness than you saying I believe who God [14:56] is and I’m going to base my life on it. [14:59] Because that’s the call of Abraham. [15:03] You find no greater evidence in scripture than the life of those who believe in him

[15:08] seeking to obey him in every way because he redeemed them out of great sin.

[15:15] The story that you have for yourself is no different than the story of Abraham. [15:20] The story that he has is one day I was found in my sin and I found a God who I was not [15:28] following and he redeemed me by his grace. [15:32] That’s everyone’s story that comes to faith in Jesus Christ. [15:36] That’s the story of the patriarch of our great faith.

[15:43] If you note there are four different world religions that find their fulfillment, that [15:47] find their genealogy all the way back to Abraham.

[15:52] And so we see throughout history that this is the starting point of different faiths. [15:58] This is the starting point of everything. [16:01] This is the starting point of all who proclaim that they follow an omniscient God. [16:07] Of all who proclaim that they follow a great God who is over all things, who is on his [16:12] own completely self-sufficient and we find that he starts with sinful man to fulfill [16:20] his will.

[16:22] The story doesn’t give us a conversation between Abraham and God where God said here’s [16:29] all the answers to your questions. [16:32] If you look at the story, if you look at just verses 1 through 4 you find that when God [16:36] says trust me, he actually gives Abraham more questions than he has answered.

[16:45] Too often before we are willing to step out and say God I will obey you, we look to God [16:51] and say first you are going to answer my questions. [16:55] Too often we look to God and say but God I don’t understand and you are going to have [16:59] to make me understand. [17:02] Nowhere in scripture do you see anyone following God after he answers all their questions. [17:08] Usually once he has completed his will in their life they have still got tons of questions

[17:12] left.

[17:15] And so when God moves in your life, when you see the revelation that God has given in scripture [17:20] and you know that you need to move, understand that God is initiating in your life. [17:27] God is coming to you and saying obey me. [17:29] It is a grace every time you see something that God wants you to do in his word. [17:35] That’s his work of grace. [17:38] And what he is looking for in you is for you to have the faith to say yes Lord I will

[17:46] worship you. [17:47] Yes Lord I will trust you. [17:50] Yes Lord I will follow you. [17:55] Following God is not always about understanding him. [18:01] Following God is about his character. [18:04] Following God is about his love.

[18:06] Following God is understanding that in a world filled with sin and mostly in a life that [18:12] I have and you have that is filled with sin, this great God has the audacity to still [18:21] want to use us. [18:23] To still want to love us. [18:26] To still want us to follow him. [18:29] That is what faith is.

[18:33] Faith is not about how good you are. [18:36] Faith is not about your pursuits. [18:39] Faith is not about what you need. [18:41] Faith is not about what you want. [18:43] Faith is about the God who initiates into our lives when we do not deserve it. [18:52] I look at the life of Abram and I see the same thing in my life.

[18:54] I see someone who deserves eternal separation from God. [18:58] I see someone who deserves to go through life not even knowing that there is a God. [19:03] I see someone who rebels over and over against his will and then I see the hero of the story [19:10] step in and say I am going to take over. [19:13] Trust me. [19:15] And that is the hero who is God.

[19:18] The one who in Genesis 1 spoke the world into existence. [19:23] That is the God that we know. [19:25] That is the God we must follow. [19:28] Secondly this morning I want you to understand that God promised that Abram’s faith would [19:34] be rewarded. [19:35] Look in verses 2 and 3.

[19:39] Verses 2 and 3 God still speaking. [19:41] He tells Abram I want you to leave the land you have known your whole life. [19:45] I want you to leave the family that you have lived with forever. [19:49] Alright Abram is 75 years old and he is still living right near all of his family members. [19:54] Still living where he was born. [19:56] That is what happened in those days.

[19:58] So God comes to him after 75 years of the same thing and he says I am going to change [20:03] everything. [20:05] I am going to flip the script. [20:07] I want you to follow me. [20:08] I know you don’t know me but just do it. [20:11] And then he says I want you to go to a land that you have never even seen.

[20:15] Oh and by the way I am not going to tell you where it is. [20:17] Once you start moving then I will show it to you. [20:21] So Abram didn’t get Google maps. [20:23] He didn’t get the destination. [20:24] He didn’t get the time left. [20:27] Which is both a privilege and really just suffering.

[20:31] Any of you have a GPS and you get in your car and you start driving down the road and [20:35] you are like I can beat that.

[20:38] And so it is like you are going to be home at 8.24pm and you are like every minute it [20:42] goes down you are like oh yeah.

[20:45] I am that good. [20:46] And then you see a stop light.

[20:50] Makes me angry when I see that stop light. [20:54] I am so tempted to just blow through it. [20:56] Then I see other lights in my rear view mirror.

[21:00] God said to him in verse 2 and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and [21:05] make your name great so that you will be a blessing. [21:09] I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonors you I will curse. [21:14] And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. [21:19] God rewards faith with redemption. [21:23] That is what he rewards them with.

[21:24] What does God offer to Adam and Eve when they are first created? [21:29] He offers them the blessed life of eternal communion with the God of the universe. [21:36] He offers them the blessed life of making the name of God great among all of the universe. [21:42] He offers them the blessed life of eternal life and eternal connection with God. [21:50] Note what is promised to Abraham. [21:54] The same.

[21:57] We are designed for this purpose. [21:59] Each and every one of us are designed for the promises that are made to Abraham. [22:03] We are promised that we will be a great nation and a great name is what we exist for. [22:09] We are to be God’s people to proclaim his great name. [22:12] To be blessed as we blessed is the call of being the witnesses of God. [22:16] To be a curse to those who curse is the mark of sin.

[22:21] We exist to show God’s triumph over evil and to bless the world by heralding God’s [22:26] name. [22:26] This is what was lost in sin and God says follow me and it will be restored.

[22:33] See often times we look to the promises of the Old Testament and we see promises that [22:38] are for someone else.

[22:42] Too often we don’t go deeper. [22:45] We don’t look to the original created order in Genesis 1 and 2 and we don’t see every [22:51] one of these promises is for me to live as I was originally designed to live. [22:58] The call of faith to Abraham is the call of faith to each and every one of us this morning. [23:05] It is the call of redemption. [23:07] It is the call that you don’t deserve what God has in store for us but God will give

[23:14] it to us anyway. [23:15] God will give us exactly what we were designed for even after we blew it. [23:22] Even after time and time again we look to God and we literally by our lifestyle say [23:28] no I would rather side with those that are cursed. [23:32] I would rather side with eternal damnation. [23:34] I would rather trust myself more than I trust you.

[23:38] I would rather trust my design over your design and God looks to a pagan and he says if you [23:44] will follow me again I will give it all back. [23:49] You won’t lose one bit. [23:51] You will see my glory. [23:53] You will experience my purpose and you will live the life that I had for you and you will [23:58] be eternally blessed for it.

[24:00] That is the promise of Jesus. [24:03] That is what we have in the gospel. [24:06] What I want you to see in this series is that all the way from Genesis chapter 12 through [24:11] Genesis 22 every promise that God makes he fulfills in the gospel of Jesus Christ for [24:20] sinful man. [24:22] What you see in Genesis chapter 12 is God coming to a sinner and preaching the gospel.

[24:29] Follow me. [24:31] You are redeemed. [24:34] Follow me. [24:35] I will restore you. [24:37] Follow me. [24:38] You will be my worshiper once again.

[24:41] Look in Galatians chapter 3 verses 8 through 9. [24:44] You are like I don’t know Steve. [24:46] Well Paul is smarter than me and here is what he said. [24:49] And the scripture foreseeing and when it says and the scripture understand that that term [24:53] there is speaking of God. [24:55] It says in the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith preached

[25:01] what? [25:02] The gospel beforehand to Abraham saying in you shall all the nations be blessed. [25:09] So then those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham the man of faith. [25:17] The same faith that God called Abraham to he is calling you to and he is calling me [25:23] to. [25:23] He makes the promise to Abraham that he will accomplish his purpose on earth.

[25:28] If Abraham wants to be a part of that he must have the faith to follow. [25:34] It is really weird when you are preaching a sermon and you get the hiccups.

[25:39] I don’t know why that happens.

[25:43] This is the design of faith. [25:48] Trust in God. [25:49] Look in Hebrews 11 verse 1. [25:52] The scriptures say now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things [25:58] not seen.

[26:01] This verse explains the substance of faith is a hope and the evidence of things not seen. [26:07] Now what does that mean? [26:08] When you see the plan at the end. [26:10] When you build something in your house or for your house or when you maybe you are like [26:15] me and you pay someone to build something in your house or for your house. [26:18] I am not that handy.

[26:20] But when you do that once you see the outcome, once you see the garage built, once you see [26:27] the decorations come to fruition, once you see everything that you have been hoping you [26:33] would see come to fruition it takes zero faith because it is there, because it is in front [26:38] of your eyes, because you see the outcome. [26:40] What takes a lot of faith is looking at a pile of lumber and saying that is going to [26:44] become a porch.

[26:46] I don’t see. [26:47] How in the world you are going to do that. [26:50] They bring all the saws out, they bring nail guns out. [26:53] I mean they have even got tool belts so you know that they are professional. [26:56] By the way that is my standard. [26:58] I am like a con artist dream.

[27:01] It is like you have got a tool belt? [27:04] Obviously you know what you are doing.

[27:07] I don’t have a tool belt. [27:10] It is a Christmas idea honey.

[27:14] She is probably like no because then you will try to build something. [27:18] No, that is not going to happen.

[27:21] But here is the thing. [27:23] Once you see it it takes no faith. [27:26] Once you see it you don’t have to trust the one who is going to do the building. [27:32] Because you see what he built. [27:35] God doesn’t want us to when he is done look to him and say okay I believe you could do [27:41] it because you did it.

[27:43] No, God wants deeper faith from each and every one of us. [27:47] God wants us to not see but to trust his character. [27:51] God wants us to not see but say since I know you are a great God, since I know you are [27:57] an enduring God, since I know you are a faithful God and I know that you have moved, I know [28:02] that you have created, I trust that you have made, I trust that you have got power. [28:06] I believe with hope that on the other side of this promise is what I need to see built.

[28:14] And so what God says is I am going to deliver my kingdom. [28:18] I am going to bless the nations. [28:20] I am going to curse those who curse you. [28:22] I am going to have justice in this world for myself. [28:24] And I am going to deliver my kingdom through something that I am going to do. [28:28] And God is looking for Abram to say oh yeah I believe you more than I believe myself.

[28:33] Yeah, I believe your plan above my plan. [28:36] I believe what you are saying is going to happen more than I believe what I am saying should happen. [28:41] And God is saying follow me in hope because I am giving you evidence on who I am about things that you have not seen. [28:49] God wants ruthless trust.

[28:53] God wants reckless abandon of what we have in our lives because we trust that on the other side [29:00] we will be shown to not be that reckless. [29:03] Because when you know the fix is in, it is a safe bet. [29:08] And God constantly comes to us and he says throughout history trust me it is a safe bet. [29:13] I have got the winning horse. [29:15] Alright.

[29:17] And so for you to have faith in God is a faith that not only do you sit in this chair as a redeemed person [29:24] if you trust in Jesus Christ, but you also sit as someone who is going to see the kingdom of God [29:29] because you are going to have the full blessing in heaven.

[29:34] I have never seen heaven. [29:37] I have never seen the kingdom of God. [29:40] But it is there because God said so. [29:44] But here is the other side of that story.

[29:49] Abram lived in a time in which no one was following God. [29:55] Abram lived in a time in which no one heard the voice of God. [30:01] Abram lived in a time in which God had not built a nation yet. [30:08] Abram lived in a time in which his son had not been born through that nation yet. [30:14] He lived in a time when Jesus had not made the blind to see. [30:19] He lived in a time in which Jesus had not made the lame to walk.

[30:23] He lived in a time in which Jesus had not looked into a tomb and said, [30:27] Lazarus, come forth. [30:28] And here comes a dead man four days later. [30:31] Abram lived in a time in which Jesus had not transfigured before three apostles who testified about it later. [30:37] Abram lived in a time in which Jesus had not died on the cross where the sky goes dark, [30:43] earthquakes happen, tombs come up, and a centurion stands and says, truly this must be the son of God.

[30:49] Abram lived in a time in which the veil to the temple had not been torn from the top yet. [30:54] Abram lived in a time in which Jesus had not died on the cross and said, paid in full. [31:00] Abram lived in a time in which Jesus had not risen from the dead under his own power, [31:06] fulfilling every prophecy of the Old Testament, every promise of the Old Testament, [31:11] and said, I will restore my kingdom, go and make disciples testify to what I’ve done. [31:16] You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to all sides of the earth.

[31:23] You’re going to be my people. [31:25] Abram did not live on this side of history in which we look back and we see the great God and King Jesus Christ, [31:32] in which we see his resurrection, in which we know there’s life after the dead, [31:35] in which we know that God is coming again to fulfill every promise in my life that he’s ever made through redemption, [31:42] ever made through restoration. [31:43] Abram lived in a time where all he had to go to was a voice coming to him and saying, Abram, get up, go.

[31:50] And Abram says, OK.

[31:54] You see, Abram lived on the other side of the Gospel.

[31:59] I praise God that I live on this side of the Gospel.

[32:07] Because Abram needed more faith than I need.

[32:15] God rewards faith with his redemption and his purpose.

[32:24] Look in verse 4.

[32:29] So Abram went as the Lord had told him. [32:34] And that’s where I’m going to stop today. [32:37] Because that’s all I want you to see. [32:39] There’s more stories and there’s more to it. [32:42] But you guys don’t want to be here for a few days.

[32:48] Abram did not go to make his life more comfortable.

[32:56] Abram did not go because he saw a lot of convenience.

[33:03] Abram did not go because he saw what he wanted to do the way he was, naturally. [33:11] Abram did not go because he thought, well, I’m going to build my kingdom, my way, the way I want. [33:19] Abram went as the Lord had told him. [33:26] Too often we call our preferences faith.

[33:32] Too often we have a great way of looking at something that we want for selfish reasons and saying, [33:39] God, I’m trusting you to make that happen. [33:42] God did not promise to do that.

[33:47] God did not promise comfort to Abram. [33:52] God did not promise leisure. [33:55] God never even looked at him and said, Abram, I’m going to make you rich. [33:58] God didn’t look at Abram and say, Abram, you’re not going to get sick. [34:02] God didn’t look at Abram and say, people won’t curse him. [34:05] God looked at Abram and actually gave him a pretty good idea, hey, people are going to curse you.

[34:10] People are going to mistreat you, but trust me because I’m going to get them, which I like that.

[34:18] You know, I like the idea that I don’t have to take the retribution. [34:23] Somebody else has my back and that’s God. [34:26] So that’s a pretty good promise, but still I don’t like being cursed.

[34:34] Abram goes because he trusts God. [34:39] Abram goes because he says, OK, I’ll believe your plan above mine. [34:44] Because at seventy five, I should assume Abram had a few plans. [34:49] If he didn’t, of course, maybe that’s why he still lives with mom and dad. [34:52] I don’t know.

[34:55] Like I said, we don’t know a lot about Abraham’s background. [34:59] All right. [35:00] Maybe he’s in the basement, you know, eating mac and cheese. [35:04] I don’t know. [35:06] Mom, I’m cold.

[35:10] I don’t think they had basements back then. [35:16] No.

[35:21] Abram simply looks to God and he says, God. [35:24] OK. [35:26] But note that his faith was not an academic exercise. [35:30] It was not a nod in agreement and then a return to life as usual. [35:37] It was not, you know what? [35:39] I’m going to believe that.

[35:40] So, so, you know, I’ll sing a few worship songs, I’ll do a few Bible studies. [35:45] And that’s what faith looks like.

[35:49] Faith said move.

[35:53] And so Abram went. [35:55] Faith will always require you to move from where you are to where God has a vision for you being. [36:06] And the journey from point A to point B is going to have some speed bumps. [36:13] It’s going to have some potholes. [36:15] It’s going to have some tough relationships. [36:18] It’s going to have some disappointments.

[36:20] But God says, keep trusting because I’m going to show you the land. [36:24] Keep trusting because I’m going to fulfill my word. [36:27] Keep trusting because I’m God. [36:31] And I can do whatever I want.

[36:34] Keep trusting. [36:36] And Abram went. [36:39] Abram finally this morning trusted God by following him on his mission.

[36:48] It takes no faith for you to follow God on your mission.

[36:52] It takes no faith for you to look to the life that you want and say, God, I’ll follow you there.

[36:58] Abram didn’t look back at God and say, God, I think you’ve got this wrong. [37:02] I got it pretty good over here. [37:05] So if you’ll just pour some blessings there.

[37:08] No, Abram had to get up. [37:11] Abram had to move. [37:12] Abram literally had to desert everything that his hands had ever built. [37:19] Abram had to move from everything that he had ever wanted. [37:24] Abram had to move from everything that he had prospered in previously. [37:29] Because he believed that what God had was far better than what he had.

[37:36] Because he believed that God would come through on his end more than Abram could ever come through on his end. [37:43] Faith moves us into the life of God. [37:48] Hebrews chapter 11 verse 8 summarizes this greatly what Abram did. [37:52] And it says, By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. [38:01] And he went out not knowing where he was going.

[38:09] I love when God gives me stuff like that.

[38:14] Because I know that there’s at least some people in this crowd that God is working in your life. [38:21] God is calling you to something. [38:22] God is convicting you of something that’s going on. [38:26] And you say, But God, I have no idea how this is going to turn out. [38:32] Or maybe you’re in a place where you’re suffering through something. [38:35] Maybe you’re in a place where you’re disappointed about something.

[38:38] Maybe it’s not working out the way that you envisioned that it would. [38:44] Well, take heart. [38:45] Because Abram had to desert everything. [38:47] He had to quit his job. [38:49] He had to quit the family business. [38:50] He had to leave his land.

[38:52] He had to leave his household. [38:53] He left everything because he trusted God. [38:57] And he had no idea where he was going.

[39:02] Friend, you don’t have to know where you’re going to trust God. [39:06] You just have to trust that God’s already on the other side.

[39:12] God has promised that if you will trust in what he has said, if you will believe what he has declared, [39:18] if you will believe what he has proclaimed about your life on the other side are the riches of him.

[39:26] See, we have a faulty system of what we call riches.

[39:31] So we like to look at things and say, Well, riches is obviously my bank account is going to be full. [39:36] My IRA is going to be mature. [39:38] My 401K will have prospered. [39:40] And I’m going to be able to sit back in my lazy boy. [39:42] Trust me, Abraham’s at retirement age, is he not?

[39:47] God said, His 401K? Oh, desert everything you built and go. [39:51] Oh, OK, God.

[39:55] But Abraham believed that God would deliver. [39:59] And what would God deliver? [40:01] God would deliver God.

[40:05] The greatest treasure that could ever be given into the life of anyone that’s ever been made by God is God. [40:15] So every promise you have in scriptures is going to be fulfilled in one person. [40:22] God. [40:24] His presence in your life. [40:27] His attitude for your life. [40:30] His vindication of your sin through the cross of Jesus Christ.

[40:35] And the fact that you will be able to stand before his throne, guilt free. [40:42] No sin shaming you. [40:45] No burdens gripping you. [40:48] You’ll be able to stand before his throne for eternity and proclaim that he is the God of salvation.

[40:56] Because on this side of history, I look back. [41:00] And I see what he called a man named Abram to. [41:05] And then I’ve been given his word to show how periodically, strategically and graciously he builds a people for himself. [41:15] And then he himself steps into history. [41:19] He himself lives the life that I could never live. [41:23] Perfect, righteous, holy.

[41:26] And then he himself who knew no sin dies on the cross for my sin so that I can be vindicated fully because he exchanged my sin for his righteousness. [41:38] And then he says, Steve, go.

[41:44] Live my mission.

[41:48] And our response to be faithful must be the response that Abram had.

[41:56] If our faith is real, if our faith is true, we must get up and be his witnesses for this world to see in word. [42:10] And as we’ll see right here in Abram, as well as indeed.

[42:20] God calls us to live lives of great faith. [42:23] But here’s the question. [42:27] How do you know if you trust God? [42:32] Second Corinthians chapter one, verse 20 says that every promise that God has ever made finds its yes in Jesus. [42:41] It’s one of my favorite texts in all of scripture. [42:45] Because it summarizes everything.

[42:48] Genesis to Revelation. [42:50] It’s all the gospel of Jesus. [42:54] The effects of faith on our lives reveal themselves and our beliefs and actions. [42:59] And you can’t separate the two. [43:02] Because one shows the truth of the other. [43:08] You live out what you actually believe.

[43:13] And I think that’s the great story that we have in Abram. [43:16] If he had not gone, it meant he did not believe no matter what he said. [43:22] No matter what he convinced others of. [43:25] No matter what he even convinced himself of.

[43:28] Faith is you trusting God will deliver and then living as if you believe that. [43:35] God calls us to the same treasure that he called Abram to. [43:39] And that is a life of giving God your all through the movements of every single day. [43:46] God is calling you to trust him with it all. [43:50] To have faith in his mission of redemption through Jesus is you living like you believe it. [43:57] And then in your heart you really do.

[44:01] Because you look to God and say God if you could make a dead body alive under your own power. [44:08] Clearly you can use a pagan like me. [44:12] There is no work. [44:16] Too great for our God. [44:20] What can God do in your life if you will just trust him? [44:23] What can he do?

[44:25] What is it that you need? Who can bless more than God? [44:30] And who can he bless through you with his mission?

[44:36] We must have actions in our lives that show that we trust God. [44:41] Because he pursued us and now through us he wants to pursue the world.

[44:52] When I started I made the statement that God has proven through his work even in the book of Genesis that he is unwilling to leave us behind in the accomplishment of his will. [45:06] He did not need Abram. [45:09] He does not need me. [45:11] He does not need you. [45:15] And so the amazing work of God’s grace is that he just comes and he says follow me.

[45:28] Follow me.

[45:30] And every time he will give the life that you were designed to have. [45:38] That is freedom.

[45:41] As the band comes up I want to transition into a time where we reflect on the great promises of God.

[45:50] Every week we share this meal together as a church.

[45:56] It is called communion. It is called the Lord’s Supper. [46:00] But here is what it means. [46:03] It means that we trust God to deliver on his promises. [46:08] The nation of Israel partook of this meal once a year because they trusted God to fulfill his promises to them.

[46:18] Right before the cross Jesus gathered his disciples and he explained to them what it fully meant. [46:24] That what had been called the Passover meal will now be a testament to the new covenant in his blood.

[46:32] That the bread represents the broken body of Jesus. The cup represents his shed blood. [46:38] It represents the promises of God being fulfilled by the Son of God allowing life to leave his body.

[46:48] And when we take the cup, when we take the bread, when we consume it, it is a metaphor that the life of the Son of God is entering our lives. [46:58] That we trust the Gospel of Jesus above all. [47:02] That we have faith that God will do what he said he will do regardless of what happens in the world. [47:10] That we are his people called by his name to live his mission. [47:15] Maybe you are in here today and you don’t know this God. [47:18] Maybe you had a faulty idea about what faith was.

[47:22] Maybe you want to know this God. [47:25] Well friend today can be the day of salvation for you because God calls you to trust. [47:31] God calls you to put your faith in him. [47:34] Follow him today. [47:36] I would love to talk to you about it. I will be over here in the corner. There will be some in the foyer. [47:41] If that is you, trust him.

[47:46] For those of you that do know him, these six tables are going to be open around this room. [47:51] And it may take us a minute because of the crowd.

[47:55] But come, proclaim the Gospel to one another when you are ready.